Say It Ain't So
by shortyMK2
Summary: S+S are in high school now! Syaoran hasn't revealed his love for Sakura yet, but could he be too late? [chapter 3 - HE KNOWS YOUR SECRETS!]
1. TerrorizingSquirrels

**A/N:** I conceived this idea whilst showering...yea, and then I thought, "...wait...did I already shampoo?" Anyways, age the cast about 3 or 4 years up. They now attend high school together, BUT **Syaoran has not confessed his love for Sakura**. Dun dun dunn..But him and Sakura are friends. Enjoy! Oh and BTW, the chapter titles have very little to do with the actual chapters...I don't really like writing titles, so I just put in any old thing. --miha

**Disclaimer:** The CCS characters are chained to the bedposts of CLAMP. Not mine. *sniff*

**Chapter 1: Terrorizing Squirrels**

_BONK!_

"Gack!" Sakura Kinomoto sat up in the grass, steadying herself with one hand and rubbing her head with the other. The world spun before her eyes as she groped around her for her books. When her vision settled, she saw the orange basketball that hit her head slowly rolling away. _'Stupid ball,'_ she thought as she stood up and brushed the grass off of her navy blue uniform.

"Sakura! Are you alright?" Syaoran Li ran over to retrieve the basketball. "Sorry 'bout that...my aim needs a little work..."

"A little? The hoop is *that* way..." she said with a smirk, pointing towards the opposite way in which the ball flew.

Syaoran scratched his head and replied, "Yea, well I'm not the only one who should be practicing their aim...I saw you at volleyball practice and _where_ did the ball go?" 

"Bhdm." Sakura said, looking down.

"You're mumbling, I can't hear you!" Syaoran smiled as he teased her.

"Bhndm."

"What's that?"

"Behind me!"

"There we go..." Syaoran said as he patted her on the back. He looked up when he heard his friends calling to him. "I'll see you in Algebra!"

She waved and smiled as picked up her bag.

---

"You put your hair up differently today," Tomoyo Daidouji said to her friend as they moved down the lunch line.

"Yea...I didn't have a brush handy this morning after I got hit in the head by Syaoran's basketball..." Sakura told her.

After paying, they both carried their trays as they walked to their table.

"...and the net was all the way over there and it just had to fly into my head..." Sakura relayed the events of the morning to her friend.

"I know, I saw you from a window in the AV room. I was gonna wave, but when I saw Syaoran go over to you, I didn't want to...oh..." Tomoyo caught herself. "Nothing. ^.^ "

Sakura urged her friend to continue as she set her tray on the table and sat down. "You didn't want to...?"

"Nothing. I was just going off on a tangent...^.^" 

Sakura looked at her with curiosity. "Okay...but if you wanna say it...I wanna hear it..."

Tomoyo smiled at her assuringly. _'I didn't want to interrupt anything.' _

_---_

Sakura walked out of Algebra with a grim look on her face and a couple of hairs sproing loose. "Katayama-sensei gave me a C- on that last quiz...I'm gonna fail next week's test!" She told Syaoran as they walked towards their lockers together. "Let me guess...you got another shining A+?" Sakura asked, spinning the combination lock. She looked up and was faced with Syaoran's quiz marked with a big, fat, red A+.

Sakura groaned as she took the quiz from him and flipped through the pages. "How do you do it? You don't even seem like you have to try..."

Syaoran shrugged and told her, "I guess it just comes naturally for me."

"I study every night...but it just doesn't register in my head." Sakura said as she handed back his paper and began taking out the books she needed.

"I could help you if you wanted," Syaoran offered, packing up his bookbag. He suddenly found Sakura clinging to his arm.

"Oh! You would do that? I'd appreciate that SO MUCH! Thank you, thank you so much!" she said as she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. She caught a glance at her watch and said, "Oh! I remember I promised Tomoyo I'd meet her out front. You can come to my house this Friday after 6...by then Kero is usually out terrorizing squirrels or something, so he won't be pestering you. Thanks again!" She hurriedly said as she waved and ran off.

Syaoran waved back and smiled.

---

**A/N: **Whew. That was fun. Review! Review and I'll post more! Woohoo! Oh, and I didn't really know what to name this story so I browsed my MP3 collection and named it "Say It Ain't So" after the Weezer song by the same name. I didn't name it after the song because there's a relevance to the lyrics and the story plot...'cause there isn't. ^.^. I just thought, you know, what the hey.--miha 


	2. Fruity Hair

**A/N: **Sorry for the 2 week wait...I didn't want to risk writing a cruddy chapter due to rushing. I love you reviewers. So much. Reviews just make my day ^.^. So here's a little shout-out to you good people:

I Love Li Syaoran: YAY!   
Jared: Sorry for not updating soon enough...but...uhh..I did! ^.^;;  
azngurL: I will try to remember that tidbit. If any dreamy boy actually kisses me. Ha. Haha. HAHAHAHA...  
Summer: Thanks for your comment! I actually didn't mean for it to be funny. I guess it just sorta happened. But that's still cool!  
Sakuranbo Bana: ^.^ Glad you like "terrorizing squirrels"...I included a squirrel this chapter for all you squirrel enthusiasts. lol.

Hope you all enjoy this chapter! --miha

**Disclaimer: **CCS characters are stamped on their bums with the CLAMP stamp.

**Chapter 2: Fruity Hair**

"Got it!"

_Bam!_

"Mine!"

_Bam!_

"Setter's out!" Sakura called out as she positioned herself underneath the volleyball. She passed it up and her teammate setted it up. Another teammate jumped up to contact the ball and downballed it onto the other side of the court. The coach's whistle signaled that the scrimmage had ended.

"Good call, Kinomoto!" Her coach shouted. Sakura nodded to her. "Okay girls, excellent scrimmage. Ten minute break!"

Sakura walked over to the bleachers where her bag and Tomoyo sat. She took her water bottle out of her bag and gulped it down.

Tomoyo climbed down from the bleachers - videocamera in hand - and commented to Sakura, "You got your pass higher that time."

"Yea...that was good," she smiled.

"And it made for such perfect footage!" Tomoyo exclaimed, gesturing to her camera.

"You don't _have_ to tape me, Tomoyo..."

"But you've already turned all the cards to Sakura cards...there's nothing to tape anymore!" They giggled.

"Can I see my awesome pass?" Sakura asked.

"Sure," Tomoyo said and she switched her camera to video mode. She hit rewind, waited for a few moments, then stopped and played.

Syaoran and Sakura were on the LCD screen of her camera.

"Wh--" Sakura started.

"Woops! Rewound a little too far..." Tomoyo said hastily as she moved to press the fast-forward button. Sakura moved Tomoyo's hand away from the button and watched curiously at the screen.

"...That's from this morning?" Sakura asked. She looked up to Tomoyo and she nodded. "Errr...why?"

"Because you two look so cute together!" Tomoyo said. Her eyes became starry with admiration. "It's like something out of a shoujo manga!"

Sakura's sweatdropped and said, "Heh...you haven't changed since elementary school, Tomoyo..."

---

When Sakura arrived home, she opened the door and called out, "I'm home!"

...

_'Hm...they all must be out...'_ Sakura checked the board in the kitchen, where everyone's schedule was written down.

"TUESDAY

Sakura @ practice till 5

Touya @ ice cream parlor till 8

Otosan @ school till 9"

_'Looks like microwaved leftovers for dinner...' _"Kero! I'm home!" Sakura shouted. No response. "Kero!" She opened the fridge to check what she could have for dinner.

"Oooooooohhhhhh..." Kero lay on the shelf in the fridge, tummy pudgy, and a platter next to him with only crumbs left.

"HOE?!" Sakura jumped back, alarmed. "Kero! How'd you get in here?!" Kero, his face weary, floated out of the fridge.

"Unnnnnnnnnhh..." He floated over to the table and plopped down. "Your brother left the fridge open when he was getting the newspaper outside...I smelled the heavenly smell of chocolate mixed with vanilla...and a hint of mocha...and went in the fridge to grab a bite. He came back inside and closed the fridge. It was so coooooold! Now I got a tummy ache and frostbite..."

Sakura poked at his portruding mass of stomach and said, "Serves you right. Otosan was saving that piece of cake for himself tonight."

"I figured. I found this--" he held up a mini toothpick flag with 'Otosan' written on it "--stuck in it. But I was in there for hours! It was just calling my name..."

---

"Arrrrrrgh!" Sakura sat at her desk, spinning her pencil in deep thought. In front of her was a sheet of paper; Algebra homework. Bits of eraser were spread across her desk from her numerous furious erasures. She put down her pencil and dialed on her phone...

...and the phone began to rang at the Li mansion. Syaoran picked up the phone:

"Hello?" He prompted sleepily. He had been getting ready for bed at the time the phone rang. But his face lit up when he heard the voice answering him.

"Syaoran? It's Sakura." 

Syaoran smiled. "Oh, hey Sakura. What's up?"

"Ah...I'm having a bit of trouble with tonight's Algebra homework..."

He figured. "OK, what problem are you stuck on?"

"Number one. Ehh.."

"That's OK. So we got _x_ squared..."

Twenty minutes past, and Sakura exclaimed in victory: "I get it now! It's all clear...thanks so much, Syaoran! You explain it so well."

"Hehehe..thanks and you're welcome."

"Oh...Otosan just got home and I have to explain why his cake is gone...Kero ate it. Goodnight! Sweet dreams!" 

Syaoran hung up the phone and Sakura's voice remained in his head. _"Sweet dreams!"_ He smiled and thought, _'I will. I'll be dreaming of you.'_

---

The next morning, Syaoran walked out the door and slung his bag over his shoulder. His crisp navy-blue polo jacket was unbuttoned over his white shirt. He opened the gate and stepped out. A ruffed up squirrel (Kero's work.) heard his footsteps and frantically scurried up a tree.

"Ohayo!" Sakura greeted him. She was leaning against the wall, waiting for him. She smiled warmly.

Syaoran greeted her back and smiled as well. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh...I happened to wake up early so I decided to swing by your house so we could walk to school together!" Sakura told him. "I stopped by Tomoyo's but she was still sleeping ^.^;;."

The two walked along. _'Her hair smells...fruity,'_ Syaoran noticed. A sweatdrop rolled down his head. _'Did I just think about Sakura's fruity smelling hair??...damnit. Think of something to talk about...'_

"Hey...you don't happen to have volleyball practice today, do you?" Syaoran asked her.

"Nope, why?"

"Why don't you come watch our game then? We're playing this really tough school and it'd be great if you were there." Syaoran looked at Sakura.

"Sure! It'll be fun."

Syaoran smiled. They began to again walk in silence. _'Ehh...what else...I could tell her...but...what if she doesn't feel the same...?'_ he thought. _'I guess there's only one way to find out...'_

"There's another thing..." Syaoran started. Sakura looked up at him, acknowledging that she was listening. Syaoran looked back into her emerald-green-eyes and thought, _'Here goes...'_

_---_

**A/N: **Muhahahaha. I'm going to attempt to include a bit about squirrels in every chapter. I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews rock!--miha 


	3. HE KNOWS YOUR SECRETS!

**A/N:** Sorry for the humongous gap of unproductivity. I was so busy with school work and upping my grades before the marking period ended...well, I finally got around to writing and then, I had writer's block. But, I eventually got past that and here I am. Alive and well. ^.^ Here's the shout-outs:

Kishi: Awww...thanks so much! That's so sweet!  
Li Syaoran Is So KAKOII: lol, thanks for the review!  
azngurL: Muhahaha. ^.^  
Reann Fumasu: Thanks...sorry I had to make you wait!  
ana: Thanks!  
amarachan: Ehehehe...thanks.

Enjoy the chapter! --miha

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CCS. However, the wonderful people at CLAMP do.

**---**

**_Last chapter:_**

They began to again walk in silence. _'Ehh...what else...I could tell her...but...what if she doesn't feel the same...?'_ he thought. _'I guess there's only one way to find out...'_

"There's another thing..." Syaoran started. Sakura looked up at him, acknowledging that she was listening. Syaoran looked back into her emerald-green-eyes and thought, _'Here goes...'_

_---_

**Chapter 3: HE KNOWS YOUR SECRETS!**

Syaoran looked at her and began, "I..."

"Yeees...?" Sakura prodded him. Syaoran's eyes darted away from hers in nervousnessl, but he willed himself to look her straight in the eyes.

"What I wanna say is...I--"

A muffled shout came from Sakura's book-bag and both Syaoran and Sakura's eyes contracted to dots. Sakura unzipped her bag and Kero emerged, wagging a paw at Syaoran.

"YOU ARE _NOT_ GOING TO THAT GAKI'S BASKETBALL GAME! He's probably going to miss the hoop entirely and knock you unconscious this time..."

"Kero? You're just everywhere these days, aren't you?" Sakura said, with an eyebrow lifted. "And you have chocolate on your breath..." Sakura paused to take another whiff. "YOU ATE MY CREAM PUFFS!"

Kero suddenly grew quiet and quickly said, "Oh, look at the time! Gotta run!" And he made an attempt to escape but only flew into Syaoran's open hand.

"I'm not going to miss the hoop," He said calmly. He then took Kero, balled him up, and tossed him into a trash bin on the sidewalk with a clang.

"YAAH! Why you--" Kero growled from the trash bin. "Hey, there's an unfinished pudding cup in here..."

Syaoran smirked and looked back at Sakura. She smiled at him, making his heart pound.

"Oh...you were about to say...?" Sakura asked him. Syaoran hesitated for a moment and responded,

"...Nothing. It's not important." He smiled and thought, _'Another day...'_

---

_"Yea! Go Panthers, go!"_

_"Wooooo!"_

The coaches stood at the sidelines, waving their fists in the air. The towel boy of the opposite team held up a small cage with a squirrel in it and repeatedly pointed at it, shouting, "HE KNOWS YOUR SECRETS!" The crowd inside the large gymnasium roared as their boys' basketball team duked it out with the opposing school. Sakura sat with Tomoyo in the bleachers, cheering for the team along with everyone else.

"You know Sakura..." Tomoyo began, pointing her camera at her friend. Sakura flashed a "V" sign at the camera and grinned. "...if we win this game, the team's gonna go on to the regionals!"

"Wow...I had no idea that our team was that good. Go Syaoran!" Sakura cheered. Tomoyo watched her friend in the LCD screen of her camera, studying her excited expression. _'How can she not notice that Syaoran likes her...what a dense girl...^.^;;'_

Tomoyo set down her camera and watched the game with Sakura. Syaoran dribbled the ball down the court and gave a quick fake to the right and passed it to the left to another teammate. His teammate dribbled further down and went for a shot -- but didn't make it. Syaoran rebounded the ball and effortlessly tossed it into the hoop. The crowd stood up and shouted, cheering for the two points that put them ahead. Sakura bounced up off of her seat and waved in the air at Syaoran, "Yay, Syaoran! Way to go!"

Tomoyo, who remained seated, smiled when she saw Syaoran wave back grinning like a little boy. She giggled and nonchalantly said to Sakura, "Syaoran really likes you, you know." She realized what she had said and brought her hand up to her mouth as she glanced up to see if her friend had heard. She had.

Sakura's eyes widened and she had an expression of surprise plastered all over her face. "No way!" she exclaimed.

_'Egads...I promised Syaoran I wouldn't tell her...' _Tomoyo blushed a bit and hastily explained to Sakura, "Of course, it's just a hunch...did you see the look he had on his face when he saw you waving?"

Sakura regained her color a bit and nodded. "Mmm. Yea. But we're always like that! It's nothing big..."

Sakura sat back down and tried to concentrate on the game. _'Now that she mentions it...'_

---

Syaoran had a family affair directly after the game, so Sakura couldn't meet up with him to congratulate him on the winning game. She walked alone towards her home. _'Could Syaoran really...like me?' _She thought, remembering Tomoyo's comment. _'It couldn't be...nah...'_ Sakura continued to reassure herself that Syaoran viewed her as just a friend.

Before bed, she stared up at the ceiling, thinking about Syaoran. _'So...if he _does_ like me...then why doesn't he ask me out? Do I _want_ him to ask me out?'_

"Arrrrrrrgh!" Sakura said, frustrated as she buried her face in her pillow. _'I'm just reading too deep into this...after all, Tomoyo said it was just a hunch. Just a hunch.' _Without knowing why, she kept assuring herself that Syaoran liked her as a friend and a friend only.

_'Still, it wouldn't be so bad.'_

_---_

Syaoran carried his bag over his shoulder and walked towards the school when he saw the familiar auburn head walking a way in front of him. "Ohayo, Sakura." Sakura's head whipped around at the sound of his voice and almost looked surprised.

"O-ohayo, Syaoran!" she replied to him. She immediately and involuntarily looked to her feet. _'Don't think about him liking you, don't think about it...'_ She looked back up at him and saw him smiling at her. _'AACK! DON'T BLUSH! DON'T DO IT!' _ButSakura's face didn't comply with her thoughts and she could feel her ears begin to heat up and the heat spread to her cheeks, tinting them a rosy hue. She nervously turned around again towards the school and began walking with her head down. "C-Congrats on the big game! You played real well." _'Stupid...why are you blushing?! It's just Syaoran...'_

"You think so? Thanks." Syaoran walked beside her. Sakura felt the embarrassment melt away a little and she looked back up at him, confident that she wouldn't blush again. 

She was greeted by his grinning smile and smiling eyes. Sakura felt all the blood immediately shoot up to her face and she stuttered, "A-ah...I-I forgot...I hafta c-check in with a teacher a-a-about some missed assignment..." She hastily waved her hands in front of her, trying to excuse her cursory. "I'll see you later in free period! Ja!" Sakura bolted in the school and ran into the nearest restroom.

_'What's come over me?!'_

---

**A/N: **Hope ya enjoyed! I apologize if you were disappointed with this chapter...-.-;;...reviews are always welcome. Also, if you're looking for some good clean fun, join **Cardcaptor Sakura Roleplaying** (http://groups.msn.com/CardcaptorSakuraRoleplaying)! It's headed by my coz/besh friend Lauren (or you may know her here as azngurL). Guaranteed fun...anyways, sorry again for the delay of this chapter. Have a nice day! --miha 


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